Jogger tried to not let me pass him on my run today

maybe he was doing a workout wrote:

Don't be too quick to pass judgment. Sometimes I do repeat workouts on the trails around here. I'll do something like 2 minutes easy, 3 minutes hard. Occasionally, I'll find myself in a awkward position where it's time to start my hard portion just as someone is getting ready to pass me. I'm sure I look like I'm just dropping the pace to keep from getting passed, but it's really just a coincidence.

Yeah, that has happened to me before too. What I usually do is kinda hold my arm up while looking at my watch for several seconds. Make it look like I am waiting to do my next interval.

This happened to me yesterday on a narrow bike path. Passing another runner on the left, I saw a cyclist coming towards me. The other runner sped up as I was passing, so to avoid running into the cyclist, I either had to speed way up or slow down and go behind the runner.

Where does this idea that you have to run your long runs way slower than 6:30 if you aren't faster than say 2:20 marathon come from? What utter garbage.

Dude, was that you this morning? I was doing some ladders and was just starting a 4 minute repeat. I usually try to go 6 pace on the fast parts and around 8 on the recoveries.

Thanks for pacing me on that one. I ended up going 22 miles with about 10 of it at 6 pace. It was a good workout.

6:30 pace is NOT too fast for a long run for a 15:00 5k runner, especially in the second half of the run. classic letsrun overthink

To the OP: If I were doing a 6:30 pace long run, that's what I would do, and not let others change my workout. It does seem odd that, according to your account you were "on his left," and picked up his pace to "make sure I didn't pass him," so you "clipped off a 5:45 mile and dropped him."

Didn't either one of you speak to the other? Why are you so interested in what to "call a person like this?" when you didn't even find out what workout he was doing, whether he was 0.95 miles from his stopping point, etc. He may enjoy racing, as you apparently do. He may be slower than you, just as others are faster than you. He doesn't seem like a freak, or someone deserving of a name for his behavior.

Sorry that happened; I don't get it either. Its possible that he was just about to start a faster set, but its unlikely that he would start just as you passed him. 7:30 for easy pace isn't too fast (depends how hard it is for him!) but its fast enough that he should be a serious runner and not care about people passing him.You could call him insecure?

I don't get it wrote:

I was in the middle of my long run (6:30/pace) today in a local park. I came up on another runner's shoulder (he was probably going 7:30/pace). The moment I was on his left, he completely switched gears and struggled to make sure I didn't pass him.

I got a little frustrated and took it as an indirect challenge at each other's pride. so I clipped off a 5:45 mile and dropped him.

What do you call a person like this? That won't let you pass him in the middle of a regular distance run.

Sometimes it's just nice to have someone to run with. I've had some Kenyans roll past me on a couple of occasions and have picked it up just to run with them. If I'm feeling good, I don't see anything wrong with it.

I don't get it wrote:

I got a little frustrated and took it as an indirect challenge at each other's pride. so I clipped off a 5:45 mile and dropped him.

Feel better?

I am with the OP on this one and am surprised everyone is ripping on him. You don't find it the least bit annoying that someone running along at a much slower pace than you picks it up to your pace when you go past him. I can see if he said something to you or asked if he could run with you, but for someone to pick it up a minute or two per mile faster just to show you they can run with you is pretty damn insecure and annoying. I have been at various fitness levels in my life, at one time running most of my running around 6 minute pace and now running around 8 minute pace (old age and too much weight). Many times I have had the same exact scenario as the OP and I found it very annoying. I also picked up the pace to lose the person because I did not want to run with them. It wasn't a competitive thing or anything, just simply not wanting a guy breathing like crazy because he is running way too fast for his easy run.

Now that I am usually the slower runner, I can't even imagine trying to pick it up and run with someone that much faster than me. What is the point except to be annoying.

No, they're not ripping on them because of his opinion, (I could see someone being a bit annoyed by a jogger trying to keep up), it's just that he conveyed it like an ass. Saying that "I dropped them with a 5:45" makes the person seem a bit egotistical because of the fact they take pride in a relatively slow mile split in order to make someone else feel small. I agree with the OP, this situation would be a bit awkward and annoying, but he should have come across as more modest.

I am with the OP here. Slow(er) runners should know their place.

Not sure what the big deal is here. Whenever this happens to me I just say 'Hi' and continue on at my pace unchanged. If you are so fast, eventually he will drop off. It's not like he's shoving you off the trail. Get over yourself, no need to be grumpy about an American taking personal responsibility for their health and fitness.

msuxc1 wrote:

Sometimes it's just nice to have someone to run with. I've had some Kenyans roll past me on a couple of occasions and have picked it up just to run with them. If I'm feeling good, I don't see anything wrong with it.

This. You can be competitive and not be an anal douche about it. It's called grace.

sorry for the strong language.

I sprinted past a jogger once, then suddenly he sped up, and put me in a triangle choke! I was helpless as the blood to my brain was cut off, I went out like a light. I woke up with my shoes off and my pants pulled down to my ankles.

You let a "weekend jogger" change your workout. That is stupid. You dropping a 5:45 mile is equivalent to that guy picking up the pace so you don't pass him. As to your question, I'd call you both ridiculous. However, you are more ridiculous because you complained about it on Letsrun.

PS: 7:30 is not the typical pace of a weekend jogger, just saying.

MatthewXCountry wrote:

PS: 7:30 is not the typical pace of a weekend jogger, just saying.

Ummmmm........Ever heard of Jordan Hasay?

this is silly. why is everyone being so condescending to the jogger? maybe he just innocently wanted to see if he could keep up - not a challenge or a battle. he just wanted to see what running your pace was like, but you denied him this chance by dropping to a sub 6.

screams insecurity.